April has come and gone and it took my goals with it. I didn’t even come close to achieving my goals for a multitude of reasons. Some of the reasons were legit, while others were just plain excuses. So, my Apri goals are back again in May and here with a vengeance. I am determined to crush my goals and make becoming healthier this month a priority in my life. I can not put it off any longer. I’ve seen the benefots of living a healthy lifestyle and I want it back. So, let’s get on with our goals, shall we?

Stay on track with C25K

I failed miserably at this. I got a few runs outside (finally) but didn’t really utilize my treadmill much in April. That will be changing this month. My kids have soccer practice every Saturday at the park where I usually run. When practice is over, TJ takes the kids to the playground so that I can get in a run. I know of at least one Saturday where he won’t be there to watch the kids, so I’ll be coming to get a treadmill workout in but I love that I have him there for that. When I have him home Sunday’s those are almost always guaranteed run days as well, which I love. All during the week runs will be on the treadmill and I will finish or come close to finishing the C25K program this month.

Cross-Train and/or Strength Train 2x/week

I am still horrible at strength training but I know the benefits of it both of my health and fitness and to make me a better and stronger runner. If I can get in some sort of strength training on my off days from running, I’ll be doing great. I still haven’t figured out what I’ll be doing but I have Beachboy On Demand, which has kick butt workouts, along with all of my DVDs from them, and of course Pinterest and You Tube are full of workout ideas as well.

Stick to our meal plan 5 out of 7 days each week

I actually didn’t do too terrible on this goal, but it definitely could have been better. I want to nail this goal and meal prepping should be a huge help in that.

Get in my step goal 4-5x/week

While I smashed this goal on our day trip to NYC, in general, this was another miss. Not only did I not hit my goal any of the weeks, I rarely hit my step goal period. This can’t happen this month. I will hit this goal.

Get back on my bike

This goal is more or less a bonus. With the warmer air here, I would love to get back my boke out and start riding again, but relaisticly this can only happen when TJ is home. Jordyn’s bike is currently trapped inside the trunk of TJ’s car, which for some reason won’t open. Once we can get her boke out, I can take the kids to the park and we can all go together, but unfortunately we can’t until that happens. If I can get a few bike rides in this month, I will consider that a success.

So those are my goals for the month of May. What are your goals? What are you shooting for and hoping to accomplish? I want to hear them.

I thought it was supposed to be Spring but Mother nature threw us for a cold and snowy loop over the past two days. It wasn’t much but I’m definitely ready for spring weather.

On Saturday’s post, I mentioned going back to C25K plan. Today, I want to go into more detail about why I decided to do that and what I’m really hope to accomplish out of it.

It’s been a really long time since I ran. I’ve had a few sporadic runs here and there but, truth be told, it’s been about 2 years since I ran consistently. I have really grown to miss running and want to pic it back up. A few reasons have kept me from picking it back up sooner.

The first reason, which is one of the main reasons, is TJ’s schedule. He’s so busy and gone so much, that when he’s home, I feel bad waking him up early to watch the kids so I can leave. And with him being gone so often, that doesn’t really leave a lot of time for me to go run either, unless I run on the treadmill.

Which brings me to my second reason. Running on the treadmill is so mundane to me, and not a highlight of my day. Staring at wall in my house, running in place doesn’t give me the same relaxation that running outside does. I know people who love it. I wish I loved it more, but I don’t, so it’s easy to find a reason not to use it, but I know that not liking the treadmill is an excuse and I’ve told myself that excuses have to go.

My third and final reason is that starting up is hard. I remember how hard it was to start the first time, and I remember how running did eventually become easier. I find it frustrating, I can’t just be at that place, but I know the only way to get back to the place I was at before, and maybe past it, is to start over and keep pushing.

Which brings me back to how I started running in 2012, with theC25K program. It took me from a non-runner to a runner, and I need to do that again. The plus side to doing a second round will also help me with the hills that I’m not used. Savannah had no hill. It was flat, flat, flat and its elevation practically sits at sea level. Living in the mountains is quite the opposite.

And as for TJ’s schedule, there’s not much I can do about it now, but I’m not going to let it stop me. I’m going to do most of my runs on the treadmill and get outside when he’s home. I’ve talked to him and let him know, that I need this for me, and he’s more than willing to wake up so I can go. He may walking around with a coffee IV but he’s not going to stop me from getting in a run.

With that being said, I started theC25K program two weeks ago. I start Week 3 tomorrow and I have been feeling great. TJ’s schedule and a few crappy weather days kept all of my runs on the treadmill, but that’s ok, I got them done. One thing I decided I was going to do differently this time around as opposed to last time is that if I’m feeling good, I’m going to keep going with the plan. I’m going to follow the plan and do all the runs, but if I feel up for running more than three times a week, then I will move on to the next run. Unless I’m sick or injured, I’m not going under the minimum of three runs each week, but if I feel like doing four or five, then I could potentially finish the program early, and I like the sound of that.

I’m hoping that everything works out so Sunday, I can hit the park. The weather doesn’t look too bad and TJ isn’t working….yet, so running fingers crossed for me.

What’s the longest break you’ve ever taken from running? How did you get back into it?

How is it April already? 2016 is flying by and I haven’t done well on my goals so far this year, but that’s all changing in April. So, let’s save all the chit chat and get on those goals.

Stay on track with C25K

This is really more to keep me accountable than really challenging myself. Last week, I restarted the C25K program, which I’ll go into more in detail in a post coming next week. As far as my goal goes, I just don’t want to get behind. I want to stay on track, unless I find myself feeling really good and want to complete more than the minimum runs each week, in which case, I could get ahead.

Cross-Train and/or Strength Train 2x/week

I am horrible at getting strength training in but I know how incredibly important it is to incorporate into my workout routine, so I’m shooting to get in 2-3 strength training or other cross training workouts each week. I am including workouts such as bike riding and walking as well, because I know they are important as well and I tend to slack on those too. I need to be better so I’m giving myself baby steps.

Stick to our meal plan 5 out of 7 days each week

When TJ isn’t home for dinner, I honestly get a bit relaxed on dinner and that needs to stop. It’s causing some of our food to waste, and our wallets and my waist don’t need that anymore. To help stick to my meal plans, I’m going to prep what I can. Once the prepping is done, it’s a lot easier to throw everything togetehr and cook dinner.

Get in my step goal 4-5x/week

Even on workout days, I find this isn’t very easy. It really boils to down to the fact that I find myself not moving around as much. I have so much to do everyday that doesn’t involve moving that before I know it the day is almost over and I don’t know how I’ll get them in. To accomplish this goal, I’m setting a reminder in my phone to go off every hour, where I’ll get up and walk for 10-15 minutes. It will give me the break I know I should be taking and help to get my steps in. Talk about a win-win.

Register for a 5K

I’m part of a group on Facebook where April’s challenge is to run 60 miles plus register for a race of any kind. While I’m pretty positive I won’t run 60 miles (walking is not included in the challenge), this even will keep me motivated to move more and try to run more than I normally might. It will also force me to finally register for a 5K. I’ve been talking about it and thinking about it but haven’t done it yet. April will be the month I register for it, as soon as I pick one.

As you can see, most of my April goal are fitness related. I, honestly, think it’s where I need to put my focus right now. Before I was trying to focus on everything at the same time and it just wasn’t working. I wasn’t accomplishing any goals and getting frustrated. I think focusing on just one major aspect right now until my routine is set again will help accomplish what I really want.

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe 2016 is already here? It’s crazy how fast 2015 just flew by. I feel like in a blink it was gone. (Side note: if you’re wondering why I dropped off the face of the planet for 6 month only to return now, check out where I’ve been over on my family blog.)

With everything that went on with us in 2015, life became so hectic, I let a lot of things go. I’m not happy with it, but it’s life and you can go back, so rather than dwell on it, I’m moving forward and reprioritizing. Life for us is slowing down, although it’s still a bit crazy with TJ’s school and internship schedule, but he’s amazing and has agreed to help me out so I can accomplish some goals for me. I can’t say enough what a lucky girl I am to have him.

Lose 3-4 pounds this month

I’ve never been one to share specific weigh loss goals. I’m not super comfortable with sharing the numbers and how much I want to lose, but as I’ve gained the weight back I worked so hard to lose before, I’m starting to think if I share that with all of you, it may help me stick with them just a little bit more. My goal is to lose 45 pounds for the year. I am aware this will be very hard as I get closer to that 45 pound mark, but I am determined to get there.

To start, I’ve set a 3-4 pound goal for the month of January. I don’t want to be unrealistic in my goals, but I am going to push myself. 1 pound a week for me isn’t easy but it can definitely be done. If I stay on track with my meals and workouts, .5-.75 pounds is normal for me. Anything over a pound involves a happy dance. Ideally, I’d like to lose 4 pounds this month and that’s what I’ll be pushing for, but if I lose 3 pounds, I will be happy with that.

Workout 3-5x/week

I have seriously fallen out of a workout routine. Mainly because, running is my go-to and with TJ gone so much it’s hard to get out and run. However, that’s only 4 months of the excuse. I have nothing for the other almost year of not running. To get back into running, I’ve decided I need to go back to how I started. I’m essentially a newbie runner all over again anyway, especially with all the hills associated with mountain living.

I decided the best way to get back into running is with another round of C25K. While, there’s a part of me that feels like it may be too beginner for me, I’m trying to look at it from the perspective of hill running. Savannah is flat. I have never run on hills and that’s all that’s here, so I’m hoping this helps me get used to hills. The C25K program is 3 days a week, so the 3 workouts each week shouldn’t be the problem, but I’d like to get some sort of strength training in 2 other days throughout the week to build muscle.

Stick to our meal plan 6 out of 7 days each week

This has been an issue for us lately. With TJ working crazy hours and being gone more, there days where I just don’t feel like cooking and that needs to change. I need to stick to our meal plan. It will better for our waist lines and our wallet.

Find my daily essential oils routine

I LOVE my Young Living Essential Oils. I use them all the time for my health and wellness when I feel they are needed, but I know I could be doing more on a daily basis to promote an even more well-rounded wellness routine. This month, I’m going to work on finding the perfect daily routine for me.

Drink Ningxia Red everyday

The first step to my daily wellness routine will be to begin incorporating Ningxia Red into my day. Ningxia Red is a 1-2 oz supplement drink that can support overall health and wellness, and can energize, fortify and revitalize the body. It will be so easy to take while I’m waiting for my breakfast to cook in the morning.

This will take some time, as we’re on a budget and I can’t just throw away all the products we have. I truly feel like I’d be throwing away money. But as we finish up the cleaning products in our house, I don’t plan on repurchasing those same ones. I want to make our own all-natural products, and if I can’t, I’ll only buy natural products. No one wants to inhale all those harmful toxic chemicals.

Well, that pretty much wraps my goals for January. Writing them out they look a little ambitious but I think once I get into more of a habit, I’ll be fine. Bring it on January!

Do you set monthly goals for yourself? What are your goals for January?

Today marks the official end of Phase 1 of Best Body Bootcamp. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks already. I am loving every minute of it.

Monday was an Upper Body using Workout A followed by a 20 minute HIIT workout. With better form in my exercises and faster speeds in HIIT workout, I felt fantastic!

Tuesday was BIG day for me! I completed Workout B, which was a lower body workout including my best times for wall sits and my cardio portion was my last and final day of C25K! It was one of my first big fitness goals and I was so happy to reach that goal.

Wednesday brought on a 20 min walk at an 8.0 incline with some core work. I thought I would have been better this week with my core than last but it was the opposite. I don’t know if it was my lack of sleep or what.

Thursday, I learned that my walking planks from the first week weren’t the best in form and my butt was in the air. Ooops! Once realizing how I was doing it and what I was doing wrong, my walking planks were shorter in length but I knew they were in great form, so I was fine with it. I also opted for a lower key cardio session with 45 minutes on the bike.

Friday was taken as a rest day. I woke up to finding out my grandmother has passed away over night, so it was a very emotional day and I just wanted a day off.

Saturday I met up with Madeline and a friend of hers for a run at one of her favorite parks. They definitely pushed me and I needed it. I think I need that push more. I’m so glad we got together. Thanks ladies! I will get better. LOL!!!! I also knocked out my plank and bridge for the day once I got home. However, Jordyn thought it would be fun if she challenged me by trying to climb on me during my bridge, so I had some extra weight. And I think my form may have suffered slightly, but it was highly entertaining and Jordyn couldn’t stop giggling.

Today was another rest day. I got a good amount of cleaning and laundry done and then we headed to Bluffton. Dylan spent the night with a friend last night in Beaufort and we met halfway in Bluffton to pick him up and hang out with out friends. I did manage my plank and bridge for the day though. And they’re better than they have been. I’m getting stronger and loving it!

I have no idea what I was thinking yesterday but I completely forgot about my plank and bridge for the day. It wasn’t until I was at work that I realized I never did them, so after dinner it was time to get my plank and bridge on. I tried to convince TJ to do them with me, but he was’t up for it. Instead, he said, “No, I’ll just watch you do it.” With my audience watching, I was determined to better than my normal 30-35 second plank and my 1 minute and a half bridge. I succeeded!

Yummy! ThisZucchini Oatmeal Bread was fabulous despite one minor problem. I slightly burnt it. Ooops! But I blame my oven. I set the timer but the timer never went off.

And while I waited on it to bake, I did a little 50 Shades Darker reading. I’m really enjoying these books. I just wish I had more time to read.

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And that brings us to this morning. This morning I was out the door and at the gym not-too-bright (the sun wasn’t even up yet) and early.

Lower Body Workout B and my last day of C25K were on the agenda. I started with my last day of C25K. I can’t believe I have finally reached the last day! I completed the run with a decent time for me and I was pleased!

Next came the Lower Body workout with more wall sits and one leg sit-and-stands. I did better than last week on the wall sits but not the one leg sit and stands. I’m still awful at those. LOL!

Once I finished my lower body workout I sit had my plank and bridge. I remembered this morning. Not the best but the worst.

And before I left the gym, I decided to have a weigh in. Down another .6 pounds, bringing my total loss to 18 pounds. Slowly moving but moving. I’m happy!

By the time I got back home, I was starving. Breakfast was a Starbucks Turkey Bacon sandwich and an Iced Coffee. I was rushed when I came home so I had to leave without breakfast so it was a morning out.

Dinner was nothing big, just some scrambled eggs, which I forgot to photograph. Oops! But now I’m hungry and I have hard time believing the no food after 8 rule, so I’m going to have a bowl of cereal and watch the Olympics.

Thursday was Workout C (Total Body) and 20 minutes of cardio. I upped my cardio time so I could fit in a C25K workout. I set a OR for pace, time and distance. It was fabulous! If there weren’t so many people at the gym, I might have actually jumped up and down with excitement.

Friday finished off Week 1 with a final Intervals and Core Workout, that I struggled with. It was the same as Wednesday but after such great workouts the rest of the week, my body was tired. lol.

I learned a lot this first week:

exercises I thought were simple turned out to be some of the most challenging

I am capable of so much more than I ever gave myself credit for

On the opposite end, I do still have a long way to go

The variety of exercises I was shown this week has shown me how to work each part of the body separately or together.

Ours was great! We didn’t really venture anywhere but and that is fine with me sometimes.

Saturday, I started my weekend with a run. I’m not sure what it was but I was having some breathing issues. I had to slow to walk several times to catch my breath. It’s not the first time it’s happened and I really hate that feeling I get. but I was determined to get my run in and power through the best I could. While my time wasn’t where I wanted it to be, I did finish and I’m glad I did.

My plank and bridge Saturday were better than Friday and I aim to get better. And one day, my plank will match my bridge time. haha

The rest of my Saturday consisted of mom and wife duties: cleaning. The past week, I have been thoroughly going through each room of the house. I give myself a few days per room to go through EVERYTHING. I’m evaluating each item and trying to decide if it’s something to keep, sell, or get rid of. Jordyn’s room has been done and most of her stuff were items that we’re going to keep for Baby #3 in a few years but there were a few things that I have decided to sell or get rid of. Things I knew I would never use again.

Once I finished her room, it was time to go through our bedroom. I have gotten rid of half of my clothes and will continue to get rid of more as I continue to lose weight.

I am now on Dylan’s room. Boy, does that kids have a ton of crap! We haven’t finished his room and his room will take lots of time. I knew he had a lot of stuff but I guess I never realized exactly how much he had until we went through each piece. And Dylan is doing pretty well with getting rid of his stuff. We’ll see it goes, when we get to his toy box though. We’re getting rid of that toy box so we won’t have room for all the little things that he never plays with.

Sunday, I took a break from Dylan’s jungle of toys to catch up on laundry, just play and hang out with the kids, Skype with family and finish my current book so I can start Fifty Shades Darker. I also set my goals for Bootcamp and reviewed the first two weeks of workouts to prep myself for today! Stay tuned later for how Day 1 went!

How was your weekend? Did you do any major house cleaning or projects or did you just enjouy the weekend?

Why can I not go running? I ready myself to go and I wake up and I don’t have it in me. I don’t know if I figured it out this morning but I found something that may work. It’s this thing called the treadmill and did you know that they’re inside in an air conditioned building? It’s pure bliss.

There are two main reasons why I was never a fan of a treadmill. Reason #1: I’m a bit self-conscious and I’m a newbie runner so running next to someone who is running for an hour makes me feel like I suck. I know, I know, I shouldn’t feel that way and I will get to the point where those runners are one day but I have to be patient and work at it. But you can’t help how you feel.

Reason #2: I like the idea if running somewhere. Even if it’s in a circle around the neighborhood. I enjoy the scenery and I enjoy being outside. What I don’t enjoy however, is the heat and on my last feel runs, I have felt very blah during those runs which wasn’t motivating to go on another. Sometimes, I don’t think I’m meant to live in the south. haha!

So, what motivated me to get to the gym and run on the treadmill? Well if you remember my goals post, I talked about finishing the C25K program as one of my goals. I can’t finish it if I don’t go for a run, and with the heat and humidity making me feel blah, I decided to give the treadmill a try. Most of the time, I get to the gym around 6:30 so there’s very few people there and sometimes I’m the only one there. This helped with my fear of looking like an idiot and not being able to complete my run. Being more than halfway done with the C25K program actually helped some too, because I know I’m much better at running than I used to be. I decided to face my silly fear and go for it this morning.

This morning run was a 25 minute run. I began with a warm up and then started my run. I set my pace at just under 11 minutes and once I did a few “laps” I upped my pace to 10:20, a pace I was pretty sure I could handle for the full 25 minutes based on my running in the neighborhood.

I took this picture before my cool down. I finished my cool down to give me 3 miles. Honestly, I felt pretty great! This particular run was the motivation I needed. I know if I can keep up this up, I can do up my pace over time and that makes me super excited. I was actually a little bummed I didn’t have time to workout a little longer. I wanted to hit the bike for a shirt lowkey workout to finish out the morning but I didn’t get to the gym early enough. There’s always tomorrow!

Once I got home, I had to quickly get ready for work and make my lunch for work. I didn’t have time to make breakfast, so it was a turkey bacon sandwich from Starbucks along with my usual Iced Coffee.

Lunch was Chicken Breast on a Honey Wheat Sandwich Thin with some Laughing Cow Swiss and a few Sesame crackers with some Laughing Cow Strawberry Cream Cheese. If onely Laughing Cow knew how much I ate their product. LOL!

And now, onto a little weightloss update. This morning I had a weigh-in and have now lost a total of 15.8 pounds. YAY!!!!!

After doing some research, I found that while I had a goal weight set in mind and it was in the ideal range, I am finding that my ideal weight to live the longest is actually 4 pounds heavier than my goal weight. So, I’ve changed my goal to reflect that weight, which I honestly think may be better anyway. I have adjusted my goal to reflect the best weigh to allow me to be the healthiest and longest, and as a result am now 4 pounds closer to my goal. lol

I do not like Georgia humidity. I never have, and I don’t think I ever will. Stepping outside your door at 7 in the morning into that sticky weather that instantly makes you feel like you need to go back in and take another shower is awful. So far this year, we’ve been lucky with humidity and heat, but I have a feeling Savannah’s luck has run out. The past few days the heat has been increasing, and the humidity is getting worse. We’re finally starting to hit the 90’s, which I know there are plenty of you that are struggling with high temperatures that you’re not used. I feel for you. I think the 90’s are here to stay. 🙁 The only time I’m not as bothered by temperatures in the 90s are beach days. I can lather on some sun screen and head into the ocean. But if it’s not a beach day, the 90s can leave, along with the humidity. That can leave and never come back.

OK, I am done bitching….for now. I make no promises that you won’t here anymore complaints about GA summers, its heat or its humidity this summer.

Before I begin about why I am complaining about the humidity, let’s back up to last night. Girl’s night in. A friend of mine came over and hung out after TJ went to work. It’s so nice having a grown up conversation after the kids go to bed. A little glass of wine makes it even better. We gossiped, we laughed, we drank a little wine and stayed up WAY too late. lol

This morning, I woke up and decided to head out for a run before I even ate breakfast in hopes of little to no humidity. I was wrong. I went out for my run, but I wasn’t feeling it. I don’t know if it was staying up too late or the humidity or both, but I was struggling with this run this morning. I couldn’t find a groove. The run intervals today were upped to two 8 minute intervals with a 5 minute walking break in between the two. I really don’t think it was the 8 minute runs that got me, but I guess it could have been. I tried pacing myself a little better knowing it would be longer run intervals, but I was slower than I normally was all around and just couldn’t make myself move faster.

I’m a little nervous about the the next run. It’s one 20 minute session. I have faith in myself that I can most of it, but I am nervous and will be disappointed in myself if I can’t. Send me happy thoughts that I can do it. I’ll probably go for that run Monday.

After my run, I was starving. I needed some breakfast. And this morning it was a Thomas Everything Bagel Thin and some Strawberry Cream Cheese by Laughing Cow.

Later, lunch was a ham and turkey sandwich with a Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese wedge on an Arnold Honey Wheat Sandwich Thin.

My day mostly consisted of laundry and cleaning (they never end. lol) and hanging out with the kiddos until dinner where we grilled some burgers and had a side of Annie’s Mac and Cheese. A totally unhealthy and accidentally unphotographed dinner but I figure every once in a while won’t hurt anything.

After dinner, I was feeling a walk. TJ was not. He stayed home while I took both the kids with me. Our walk was only two small laps but it’s better than nothing and it’s nice just to get out and walk. And Dylan and Jordyn love it.

Now, the kids are asleep and I’m about to make sure I have everything I need for family photo session tomorrow.

Oh, and on another happy note, I am down another pound bringing my weightloss total to 13.4 pounds!!! YAY!!!!